Thursday, 21 November

1.   Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helpers in the war, 2.   armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows with the bow. They were of Benjamin, Saul’s brethren. 3.   The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Berachah, and Jehu the Anathothite; 4.   Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite; 5.   Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite; 6.   Elkanah, Jisshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites; 7.   and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham of Gedor. 8.   Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains: 9.   Ezer the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, 10.   Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, 11.   Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, 12.   Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, 13.   Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbanai the eleventh. 14.   These were from the sons of Gad, captains of the army; the least was over a hundred, and the greatest was over a thousand. 15.   These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west. 16.   Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold. 17.   And David went out to meet them, and answered and said to them, "If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if to betray me to my enemies, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look and bring judgment." 18.   Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said: "We are yours, O David; We are on your side, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, And peace to your helpers! For your God helps you." So David received them, and made them captains of the troop. 19.   And some from Manasseh defected to David when he was going with the Philistines to battle against Saul; but they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away by agreement, saying, "He may defect to his master Saul and endanger our heads." 20.   When he went to Ziklag, those of Manasseh who defected to him were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of the thousands who were from Manasseh. 21.   And they helped David against the bands of raiders , for they were all mighty men of valor, and they were captains in the army. 22.   For at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God. 23.   Now these were the numbers of the divisions that were equipped for war, and came to David at Hebron to turn over the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD: 24.   of the sons of Judah bearing shield and spear, six thousand eight hundred armed for war; 25.   of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor fit for war, seven thousand one hundred; 26.   of the sons of Levi four thousand six hundred; 27.   Jehoiada, the leader of the Aaronites, and with him three thousand seven hundred; 28.   Zadok, a young man, a valiant warrior, and from his father’s house twenty–two captains; 29.   of the sons of Benjamin, relatives of Saul, three thousand (until then the greatest part of them had remained loyal to the house of Saul); 30.   of the sons of Ephraim twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty men of valor, famous men throughout their father’s house; 31.   of the half–tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were designated by name to come and make David king; 32.   of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command; 33.   of Zebulun there were fifty thousand who went out to battle, expert in war with all weapons of war, stouthearted men who could keep ranks; 34.   of Naphtali one thousand captains, and with them thirty–seven thousand with shield and spear; 35.   of the Danites who could keep battle formation, twenty–eight thousand six hundred; 36.   of Asher, those who could go out to war, able to keep battle formation, forty thousand; 37.   of the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half–tribe of Manasseh, from the other side of the Jordan, one hundred and twenty thousand armed for battle with every kind of weapon of war. 38.   All these men of war, who could keep ranks, came to Hebron with a loyal heart, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were of one mind to make David king. 39.   And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them. 40.   Moreover those who were near to them, from as far away as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, were bringing food on donkeys and camels, on mules and oxen––provisions of flour and cakes of figs and cakes of raisins, wine and oil and oxen and sheep abundantly, for there was joy in Israel.

1.   Then the LORD said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the LORD for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans ." 2.   So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one–half homers of barley. 3.   And I said to her, "You shall stay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man––so, too, will I be toward you." 4.   For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. 5.   Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days.

1.   Hear the word of the LORD, You children of Israel, For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "There is no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God in the land. 2.   By swearing and lying, Killing and stealing and committing adultery, They break all restraint, With bloodshed upon bloodshed. 3.   Therefore the land will mourn; And everyone who dwells there will waste away With the beasts of the field And the birds of the air; Even the fish of the sea will be taken away. 4.   "Now let no man contend, or rebuke another; For your people are like those who contend with the priest. 5.   Therefore you shall stumble in the day; The prophet also shall stumble with you in the night; And I will destroy your mother. 6.   My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. 7.   "The more they increased, The more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame. 8.   They eat up the sin of My people; They set their heart on their iniquity. 9.   And it shall be: like people, like priest. So I will punish them for their ways, And reward them for their deeds. 10.   For they shall eat, but not have enough; They shall commit harlotry, but not increase; Because they have ceased obeying the LORD. 11.   "Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart. 12.   My people ask counsel from their wooden idols , And their staff informs them. For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray, And they have played the harlot against their God. 13.   They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops, And burn incense on the hills, Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, Because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters commit harlotry, And your brides commit adultery. 14.   "I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, Nor your brides when they commit adultery; For the men themselves go apart with harlots, And offer sacrifices with a ritual harlot. Therefore people who do not understand will be trampled. 15.   "Though you, Israel, play the harlot, Let not Judah offend. Do not come up to Gilgal, Nor go up to Beth Aven, Nor swear an oath, saying , ‘As the LORD lives’ –– 16.   "For Israel is stubborn Like a stubborn calf; Now the LORD will let them forage Like a lamb in open country. 17.   "Ephraim is joined to idols, Let him alone. 18.   Their drink is rebellion, They commit harlotry continually. Her rulers dearly love dishonor. 19.   The wind has wrapped her up in its wings, And they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

21.   When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me." 22.   Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke. 23.   Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24.   Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. 25.   Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, "Lord, who is it?" 26.   Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it ." And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27.   Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly." 28.   But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. 29.   For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, "Buy those things we need for the feast," or that he should give something to the poor. 30.   Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night. 31.   So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. 32.   "If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. 33.   "Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. 34.   "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35.   "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." 36.   Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered him, "Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward." 37.   Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake." 38.   Jesus answered him, "Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.